Shizune's route
Characters *Hisao Nakai *Shizune Hakamichi *Shiina "Misha" Mikado *Kenji Setou *Lilly Satou *Yuuko Shirakawa *Hideaki Hakamichi *Jigoro Hakamichi *Hanako Ikezawa *Mutou *Aoi *Keiko Acts * Act 2 - Learning to Read * Act 3 - Sleight of Hand * Act 4 - To My Other Self Synopsis Act 2 - Learning to Read After Hisao runs into Shizune alone at the Shanghai, he realizes he would like to learn sign language to communicate with her as an equal. While the student council prepares stall for the upcoming Tanbata festival, he signs up for a course in sign language. Although he struggles, he begins to understand the conversations between Misha and Shizune, thanks to some after-school tutoring from Misha. But he wants to keep it a secret until he can communicate on her level. After Misha tells Hisao that she'll have to be away for a few days to catch up on schoolwork, she confesses that she already told Shizune everything, thinking it would be better this way. Hisao is angry that Shizune knew he could understand them all the time. But since Shizune's growing more comfortable around Hisao, he can hardly complain. After much preparation, Tanabata comes. Misha, Shizune, and Hisao attend together. The two girls wear traditional Yukata, which Hisao can't stop staring at. Before long, Misha admits that she's tired and leaves. Shizune and Hisao find a space on a field and look up at the night sky. In the romantic moment, Hisao asks Shizune if she wants to be his girlfriend. She says yes. Act 3 - Sleight of Hand Shizune is leaving for a week to visit her family in a nearby province. But Hisao is hurt that Shizune hasn't invited him, especially since Misha is coming too. All three board a train and arrive at Shizune's father's house, which looks like a mansion. Hisao first meets Hideaki, Shizune's younger brother who Hisao mistakes for a girl due to his immature clothing. Strangely enough, Lilly is there too, with her sister Akira, an androgynous woman dressed as a lawyer. All six of them decide to go fishing on the opportunity to have Lilly cook some fresh fish for dinner. But they spend more time deciding on rules and teams than any actual fishing. Shizune's father, Jigoro Hakamichi, makes his presence known the next day. He is a boisterous, loud, angry man who wears a Hawaiian shirt and a big beard. He constantly berates Hisao (and most everyone else) for being weak and girly and often says hypocritical or insulting things. One day, when Jigoro is haranguing Hisao that he should be more like him, Shizune and Misha return from shopping. Misha has gotten a drastic new haircut--shorter and sportier. While Jigoro and Misha argue, Shizune and Hisao sneak off. They retreat to Hisao's room and have sex that night. Misha and Shizune go into town to pick up some last minute souvenirs, leaving Hisao alone with Jigoro. The obstinate man continually provokes Hisao into arguing and defamation, almost causing Hisao to lose his temper. Thankfully, this is the last day of vacation and, despite a harrowing train trip, they return to school. At first, it seems like Shizune is mad at Misha because she's spending all her time in her work. Then Shizune worries that Misha is mad at her because she hasn't been working on Student Council stuff much lately. This all culminates when Misha follows Hisao back to his dorm one night. She feels depressed because she thinks she's been a bad friend and asks Hisao to "comfort her." The next day, Hisao finds Misha on top of the roof, looking depressed. She confesses that she's been in love with Shizune since she arrived at Yamaku. Once, she confessed her love, but was rejected. Nevertheless, Shizune still sought out Misha because they were friends. She admits some jealousy of Hisao, because he has what she can't. Shizune, oblivious, interrupts and asks them down for Student Council. Act 4 - To My Other Self After confessing her feelings towards Shizune to Hisao, Misha makes a point to keep distant from the couple. Shizune takes Hisao on a picnic, but can't stop thinking about Misha. Her younger brother, Hideaki, and father, Jigoro, visit Shizune at school to tell her they are going on a trip, which is certainly unusual given their confrontational relationship. Shizune declines, given that she hasn't finished Student Council elections, nor has she cheered Misha up. Hisao realizes Shizune's actions haven't indicated anything that she's concerned with how Misha feels. Hisao comes up with a plan. He takes Misha to the Shanghai for a parfait, then takes her on a tour of the school grounds -- much like Shizune and Misha did on his first day -- while confronting her about her feelings. Misha sees that she's pushing her friend away. If Hisao did not sleep with Misha, Shizune and Hisao make love again in the Student Council room. Later that night, they sneak though the school building and discover that Misha taking supplementary classes with Mutou. When Shizune realizes that her translator has passion for something, she admits to herself that she's been taking Misha for granted. She tells Hisao of her own goals of becoming a businesswoman and philanthropist. Hisao realizes he has no goals of his own past high school. As graduation ceremonies abound, Hisao says goodbye to people he's known. He, Shizune, and Misha gather for a picture in front of the gates and promise to reunite again sometime in the future. If Hisao slept with Misha, Shizune acts incredibly aloof toward both Hisao and Misha. Lilly and Kenji try to give him some advice, but Hisao can't help feel regret for every decision he's made since Misha. Eventually, Shizune comes to his dorm one morning. She admits that she feels like a failure for putting her desire to "beat" everyone else before her relationships. She's realized she needs to spend some time away from people. And that includes Hisao. Implying she knows what transpired between him and Misha, she leaves. Trivia * Has the longest elapsed time, ending at the finish of the school year. * Has only one decision fork (Tongue-Tied, Act 3), the fewest of any routes. Category:Plot